diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 5f05bb98125eb680ab0e5208f77ac3e9996e4797..244eb38f61201d8aafeb85723ea98035b03a193b 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -36,6 +36,27 @@ nix-env -f argopkgs="https://xgitlab.cels.anl.gov/argo/argopkgs/-/archive/master
 
 ## gitlab runners
 
+### tl;dr
+
+if your key is already on the runners, you can redeploy them with:
+
+```
+$ g clone git@xgitlab.cels.anl.gov:argo/argopkgs.git
+$ cd argopkgs/deployments
+$ nix-shell
+[nix-shell]$ ./deploy-runners.sh
+```
+
+or reboot/restart their gitlab-runner daemon with:
+```
+$ g clone git@xgitlab.cels.anl.gov:argo/argopkgs.git
+$ cd argopkgs/deployments
+$ ./restart-runners.sh
+$ ./reboot-runners.sh
+```
+see the note below about purging IPs from gitlab in case you do reboot them.
+
+### detailed description
 these are deployed via NixOps:
 
 - defined in file [deployments/ci.nix](deployments/ci.nix)
diff --git a/deployments/argo.nixops b/deployments/argo.nixops
index f329596d779316f56fc51e541f59dccc7bdd21df..90b5fcd9ab0a678c7962f4bae74a0a5e118871f4 100644
Binary files a/deployments/argo.nixops and b/deployments/argo.nixops differ
diff --git a/deployments/shell.nix b/deployments/shell.nix
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..9898167b886e6bb84722c29d9a0142da995c5f63
--- /dev/null
+++ b/deployments/shell.nix
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+(import ../. {}).deployment
diff --git a/pkgs/default.nix b/pkgs/default.nix
index d3e554e0581c00ae5adf116fc3b992db2c3a791c..1353c18377771426f479ddf13d94f2516718738f 100644
--- a/pkgs/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/default.nix
@@ -499,18 +499,9 @@ let
     bld = bleeding;
 
 
-    #testSingularity = pkgs.stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
-      #name = "singdebg";
-
-      #src = ../dhrun ;
-      #installPhase = ''
-        #mkdir -p $out
-        #echo "tata"
-        #PATH=$PATH:/tmp/argonix singularity --version
-        #echo "toto"
-        #'';
-      #unpackPhase = "true";
-    #};
+    deployment = pkgs.mkShell rec {
+      buildInputs = [pkgs.nixops pkgs.nix];
+    };
 
   };